The following patents are incorporated herein by reference in entirety:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,343,716 discloses a cold plate beverage dispenser having a cold plate that is oriented within a housing of a dispenser such that the fluid lines extending through the cold plate extend in a pattern, which prevents ice bridging from occurring at the back end of the device. The cold plate includes stainless steel wire coils within each water line along an end portion for turbulating the water as it passes therethrough to provide for enhanced heat exchange between the fluid, the cold plate and the fluid line end portion.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,450,369 discloses a beverage dispenser that provides desired ratios of mixed concentrate and diluent more accurately. The dispenser includes a valve housing having an inlet and an outlet for a concentrate; an inlet and an outlet for a diluent; and a reciprocating piston in a central passageway between the inlets and outlets. The piston is reciprocally movable between a first position in which flow to both outlets is blocked and a second position in which both outlets are open to flow. A flow rate sensor is for the concentrate and a flow rate sensor is for the diluent. The sensors are connected to a controller such that the diluent flow rate is adjusted by movement of the piston according to the concentrate flow rate to achieve a predetermined ratio of concentrate to diluent for the dispensed beverage.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,770,446 discloses a system and method for dispensing a predetermined portion of a beverage or drink additive using a cost effective portion control valve that replaces electrical components with mechanical components. A controlled portion of a beverage is dispensed when a lever is activated. A magnetically coupled linkage system can control the exact amount of fluid dispensed. A valve block contains a beverage input, a beverage outlet, and a valve seal. A lever arm is connected to the valve seal and connected to a magnetic housing containing a valve magnet. A yoke pivots about the valve block. The yoke contains a yoke magnet aligned to interface with the valve magnet. A lever arm return spring is connected to the lever arm and the valve block to bias the lever arm return spring to a resting position. As the yoke pivots beyond a predetermined distance, the yoke magnet separates from the valve magnet allowing the lever arm to return to the resting position closing the valve.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,045,323 discloses a process for dispensing a beverage into a cup including: providing a dispensing structure; providing a transportation mechanism linked with the dispensing structure; providing a staging structure linked with the transportation structure; providing a control system linked with the dispensing structure, staging structure and the transportation mechanism; providing a sensor mechanism linked with the control system, the sensor mechanism providing signals indicating the position of a cup; providing a cup identification system having an interactive display connected to the control system; picking a cup from a storage device and positioning it within a dispensing structure; dispensing ice and a beverage at separate locations within the dispensing structure; transporting the filled beverage to a staging structure; positioning the filled cup in the staging structure; and removing the filled cup from the staging structure for sale to a customer wherein the cup identification system and the display outputs visual characteristics indicating the position and characteristics of a cup at every stage of the process.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,010,577 discloses a fountain beverage dispenser for constituting a beverage by mixture of a syrup and a diluent for the syrup. A highly concentrated beverage syrup supply and at least one diluent and syrup blending station are used for diluting the highly concentrated syrup with diluent before the diluted syrup is mixed with diluent in the final mixture of syrup and diluent delivered to a dispensing nozzle.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,017,485 discloses an ice dispensing system that includes an ice hopper structure including a plurality of walls having inner surfaces that define an inner volume storing ice therein. The ice hopper may include a drain. A cleaning structure is coupled to the ice hopper structure. The cleaning structure includes a pump linked to a spray mechanism positioned within the inner volume of the ice hopper structure. The spray mechanism disperses a liquid on an inner surface of the ice hopper structure during a cleaning cycle of the ice dispensing mechanism.